Sunday, August 26, 2012

We're moving into the time frame when forecasters are starting to get a peg on weather during the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, and while there is no consensus, the majority opinion is for wetter-than-average conditions.

Basically, it appears as if the pattern in the western Carolinas in the first week of September, while the DNC folks are in town, will be much the same as it's been for months -- unsettled.

The East Coast will remain in the grips of a trough, which means cold fronts will advance southward and then stall. As the fronts approach the Carolinas and stall, they set off showers and thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service's official forecast goes through next Sunday, as of now, and it calls for daily chances of showers and thunderstorms, with high temperatures in the middle 80s.

The Weather Channel, which offers a 10-day forecast, is predicting moderate thunderstorm chances through Sept. 4, with daily highs in the low to middle 80s. It also is calling for humid conditions during that time.

Accu-Weather takes a different track. It is predicting warm and humid conditions with plenty of showers and thunderstorms through Labor Day. Then the forecast is for hot and humid weather, with no thunderstorms. In other words, Tuesday through Thursday of convention week are expected to be in the low 90s.

While many convention activities are indoors, the forecast will play a role in a number of outdoor events -- a major festival next Saturday in the NoDa area; next Sunday's big Wall Street protest parade in uptown; the DNC outdoor festival in uptown on Labor Day; and President Obama's acceptance speech Sept. 6 at Bank of America Stadium.

About this blog

Steve Lyttle says growing up in northeastern Ohio, with its foot-deep snows and summertime severe thunderstorms, fueled his interest in meteorology. He has written about weather for 10 years at The Observer. Join the discussion about weather trends and weird weather events -- whether local or around the world.